SAN AUGUSTINILLO FISHING SEASON ROUND-UP REPORT

June 4, 2005, Eric Weissman, Explore Fly Fishing, San Agustinillo, Huatulco, Mexico Fishing Report:

Last week marked the closing of our regular season fishing in San Agustinillo in the Huatulco area. This year fishing was excellent as it always is. Operating from the Paraiso del Pescador, a small hotel in San Agustinillo, Explore Fly Fishing, hosted guests from all over the world, as far away as Russia and Australia, and as nearby as Texas. Guests were treated to breathtaking sightings of orca, dolphins and whales and sea turtles as part of their daily fishing trips in the Huatulco vacation area. All guests were impressed by the quaint but modern hotel, the excellent food and unbelievable fishing.

On a consistent basis we were catching Dorado, up to 50 pounds most in the 20-30 pound range, sailfish up to 160 pounds, Yellowfin tuna up to 150 pounds, largest on the fly was 50, Spanish mackerel up to 20 pounds, Wahoo, roosters, up to four feet in length, jacks and giant trevally up to 50 pounds, bonito and tunny up to 15 pounds by the 100s, and the list goes on.

We do get horse-eyed jacks, and an almost black jack, amberjacks, and rainbow runners, but this giant trevally, as it called, has very pronounced ribbing along the tail and a black dot under the pectoral fin. The tail is bland, not yellow, usually. One of the main differences is the meat inside. The jack crevalle is eaten by the local guys. Its meat is less oily, whereas the giant trevally has an oily taste and no one will eat it. The locals call the jack crevalle "frell" and the giant trevally "pompano."

Fishing at Huatulco was excellent both on the fly and with traditional gear. A lot of guests enjoyed going hand lining for snapper, grouper and other reef food fish. Some even ventured out into the night for blue water, far offshore shark excursions. There is something for everyone to do. Snorkeling diving and long beautiful beaches, even surfing.

In the last two weeks of the regular Huatulco sportfishing season, huge numbers of Yellowfin remained, enjoying a cool current. And giant schools of dorado were around. Individual fish were not as big, but the huge schools of 5-15 pounders offered great excitement. In addition, Large numbers of billfish were close to shore, once again not as large as individual cruisers but huge numbers of 60-100 pounders.

In the off season Explore Fly Fishing remains open for fishing junkets at Huatulco. Guests are now booking for next season with great enthusiasm. There are no other established inclusive services in San Agustinillo, the small quiet village 35 minutes from Puerto Escondido and Huatulco. The town is safe, quiet, fully modern and is the best alternative for serious fishermen interested in a real fishing vacation without the crowds or boat traffic.

The last fish boated at the conclusion of the season last week was a 4-foot 6-inch Roosterfish. World records are totally possible here at Huatulco.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Huatulco and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Huatulco may be found at Mexfish.com's main Huatulco page.